Our Idol Archives

Bobby Flynn was one of the more eccentric performers Australian Idol saw in its time but was a huge favorite amongst fans. Bobby was wary to go on reality tv and tells us about how the producers on Idol tried to steer him away from taking risks while on the show. After Idol, Bobby was in the Aussie independent music scene but eventually decided to go back to Uni. Now working for the Victorian state government, Mark & Bobby bond over their career endeavors outside of music. ...

You may remember Carl Riseley from his jazz days on the fifth season of Idol but you may not be familiar with his second passion, aviation. Carl tells Mark and Katie about the tough decision to leave the music industry full time when the GFC hit to become a pilot and support his growing family. After losing a bet while in the navy, Carl was forced by his navy bandmates to audition for Australian Idol. Having been an instrumentalist, Carl tells Mark and Katie about the challenges he face...

Today on the show we have Courtney Murphy who placed third on Idol in 2004. Courtney is the lead vocalist in his family band, Murphy's Lore which has been gigging around WA since 1991. Unlike many other Idol alum, Courtney has been able to support himself as a full time musician in Perth, despite the pressure to move to a bigger city. Mark & Katie chat with Courtney about how reality TV has changed and how Dicko helped him take the power back when being asked about his weight while on the...

Ben McKenzie placed seventh on Season 5 of Idol in 2007. Ben was 16 years-old when he auditioned for the show and tells Mark and Katie about not feeling comfortable coming out at the time due to a mix of his Christian upbringing along with the hate he received from viewers of the show. Ben has had quite a journey of self discovery since leaving the show and 13 years on, he has finally being back to performing and writing music. Ben’s main passion now is making music videos for artists ...

Mark and Katie had the pleasure of speaking with Idol’s pot of gold, Damien Leith, winner of Season 4. Since winning Idol, Damien has released nine studio albums, four of which hit the top two of the ARIA charts. Upon winning the show, Leith signed a contract with Sony BMG and his debut album The Winner’s Journey broke records, becoming certified platinum four times. However, Damien barely saw a cent from this album as it was completely owned by Fremantle. Damien talks about the anguish...